Mädchen in Uniform

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Summary

Girls in Uniform

After the death of her mother, the 14-year-old officer’s daughter Manuela is sent to an aristocratic girl’s boarding school. The school is run with an iron hand by the headmistress, whose basic principles are discipline, orderliness and abstinence.

In these surroundings Manuela becomes more and more introverted. She doesn’t take active part in the classes, gets bad grades and isolates herself from the others. Her only ray of light is the young teacher Elizabeth von Bernburg, who is less strict than her other colleagues and shows the girls love and understanding. All the girls adore Miss von Bernburg, but Manuela absolutely idolizes her. After taking part in a school play, which is a huge success, Manuela celebrates with the others and, tipsy from the punch, declares all her love for Miss von Bernburg. The headmistress is scandalized and locks Manuela in the isolation room. When Manuela learns that Miss von Bernburg is to be fired, she loses all hope. Standing at the top floor staircase banister, she is saved at the last minute from jumping by her classmates. As the girls all gather around Miss von Bernburg, the headmistress, broken and her principles shaken, unsteadily descends the staircase...